Deciding to be more Eco aware we searched the web for Eco friendly alternatives for disinfectants. We actually found this idea on pinterest and used peels from sour oranges given to us by “Sour Orange Steve”.
He literally has 1000s of them and offered them for free via Craigslist post. My wife purchased a case of quart size mason jars and a 1 gallon container of distilled white vinegar. The mason jars and distilled vinegar set us back a whopping $12 and we managed to fully fill nine jars.
We first started by cleaning the oranges, then proceeded to cut them in half and squeezed out the juice into a large bowl. I figured I could save the juice by freezing it so I can use it to make Moroccan chicken wings at a later time.
After squeezing out all of the juice my sister and I scrapped out the fruit to uncover the whites of the grind. Then we cut the peels into halves then quartered them. We stuffed as many as we could into each of the mason jars and then filled them with white distilled vinegar. We made sure to leave room on top to be able completely cover the peels with vinegar.
Make sure you turn the jars upside down once you have the lids on to release any trapped air. That will reveal a need for more vinegar. Again fill with vinegar to cover all of the orange peels. Once that’s done let them steep for two weeks.
After two weeks strain the solution into a spray bottle using 1 part water to 1 part solution. Essentially half water-half solution. You should end up with an Eco friendly disinfectant with a beautiful citrus fragrance. I’ve been told this works with lemons, limes and some have even added vanilla and cinnamon. I was also told that apple cider vinegar is not recommended as it attracts insects. I’m just starting out so I’ll experiment with other scents at a later time and definitely after I start to use the final product.
looskee 